*This was my draft diagram for who's who in this story. Thought it might be helpful since I for one absolutely hate reading stories with so many characters and getting lost. But I assure you the siblings just have cameo scenes so it's not really necessary to actively keep up with them. Also don't mind the spelling, like I said, it was my draft.* P.S Hera is 25, not 24.

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The sun shone brightly through the drapes and the Bahrain weather was warm and appropriate for the gulf region, yet Hera was disgusted by the humidity. 'My poor hair!' she mumbled at how the frizz would make her look shabby and unkept.

Hera had woken up with a satisfied belly and an unforgiving need to use the toilet after all that wine she had consumed last night. True to his words, Daman had arranged for a personal waiter to serve her and for that she was grateful. Even more grateful because she didn't have to pay for the room service which was sorely overpriced. However the Arabian dishes of machboos and the sweet note of khabeesa was a delight to Hera's palette. Different cuisines were always of interest to her.

She had enjoyed her evening alone eating away, watching an Arab movie and downing a bottle of wine. Her night wasn't so crappy after all. Undoubtedly she couldn't stop thinking about the handsome man, the handsome Daman. He was so beautiful. Hera had pondered over him. She wasn't sure why he was supposed to be intriguing but then again half the things in life can't be explained.

It was a gratifying morning and Hera had to get ready for the big breakfast scheduled on the guests' itinerary. She was to meet Evangeline today and all the Uzayr siblings and her father's important selected guests were to be present for the intimate yet huge breakfast.

Hera had got ready for the day, choosing a casual fit and flare dress that went out beautifully until her ankles. It was modest, comfortable and suitable enough for breakfast. It was a boring dress but it highlighted her curves like no other. Hera liked flaunting off her attributes tastefully. She was a woman in every sense blessed with curves yet she still chided herself as being fat. Perhaps she could lose a few kilos but she wasn't hell bent on it. Her insecurity was definitely her belly fat but it was easy to hide with flowy dresses.

She finished off her outfit with a pair of slip on sandals and did her makeup to perfection. It was a must for her. She loved makeup and loved how she looked all dolled up. Hera attested for herself being a girly girl in her style which she was proud of.

Her phoned signaled a message and she was hopeful that it was a message for an interview or something, anything to help with her unemployment yet she was bitterly disappointed to see and eviction notice of her flat emailed. She knew it was coming because she was already 2 months behind in rent and her landlord never tolerated tardiness.

Hera didn't even bother to fully read the message and start off her day in a glum mood. She already had her siblings for that. Sending a quick text to her best friend Tina who lived in the UK with her boyfriend, Hera had felt the weight of her financial issues finally crack her shield. She was desperate and succumbed to asking her best friend of 5 years if she had any prospective job offers anywhere for that matter.

Begging for employment wasn't as harsh as they made it out to be, it was worse. Hera was a failure.

Hera grabbed her white tote and ruffled her curly hair one last time before making her way down to the pool gazebo where breakfast was to be served.

Entering the gazebo, Hera had come face to face with all of her siblings. She had managed to avoid most of them last night but here she was with all of their eyes on her. Hera taunted herself for always being late for everything because that amounted to her being the centre of attention when she entered.

Mustering up the courage she placed a beautiful smile on her face and disregarded her insecurities. "Hello everyone," Hera greeted and stepped into the tent making her way to each of her siblings seated at the table.

Her elder sister, Farrah and the eldest brother, Anwar, both stood up to hug her. The duo was Dina's siblings and all from Youssef's first wife. Both of them were also married with kids and ran a highly successful IT company being partners. Their business was always thriving seeing that IT and it's trimmings was the future of the world.

Hera had went to the head of the table to greet her father as well and welcome the bride into the family. Youssef was busy groping his wife-to-be but that a normal occurrence for him. A charming womanizer. It may serve to be her father's downfall in life, but then again who was she to judge.

"Good morning, dad. And um.. Evangeline I suppose."

Youssef let go of Evangeline's thigh and turned to his daughter. "Hera, darling. Meet the most stunning being on earth." Youssef gestured to Evangeline who stood up and gave Hera a friendly hug. Hera had concluded that she was anything but a stuck-up bitch and that she was a total sweetheart. Too young to be marrying her dad, but that was her choice.

Taking a seat at the far end of the table, Hera was alone with the rest of the seats being empty apart from a few occupied by her father's business associates . She nervously looked around to see everybody conversing with each other as her father and Evangeline excused themselves and left the table. Looking over at the buffet table, she all but sprinted clutching her plate tightly ready to fill it to the edges.

The assortment of Bahraini breakfast dishes along with the standard English choices made Hera a vey happy girl.

She rejoiced as she ate her food successfully blocking out her siblings for that little time.

"Hera?" called out her bigger brother, Almas. "I haven't heard anything in the news about you. Weren't you working in JKW Law firm? Have you at least made senior associate by now?"

This was Almas for everyone. He scrutinized and picked on you as if he was higher than anyone. Perhaps because he was. Almas had developed a breakthrough formula for his thesis in Biomedical science and was set to meet Anthony Fauci for upcoming developments.

Almas' brother, Aazad also seemed to catch the conversation brewing between them and was intrigued. Aazad was a man of a few words but when he spoke, it was rather impactful.

"I blame it on Ruwayda," began Aazad. "She hasn't instilled the values and morality in you that we Uzayr siblings stand for. But hopefully dad could pull some strings and bypass senior associate and get straight to partner."

Hera wanted to claw Aazad's face out yet she held it in. Almas and Aazad were ruthless and their sister Jasmine was just as bad. Aazad was a physicist at Stanford university excelling each and everyday in research whereas Jasmine was only 29 and already a housewife who classified herself as a socialite.

Suddenly as if her luck could only get worse, she felt a big presence take a seat next to her. It was an energy that demanded attention and Hera didn't have to look to know who it was. His cologne momentarily transported her to another planet. It suited him. It was strong.

Daman placed his cup of coffee on the table and got out his phone tapping on the Gmail app working away.

"Actually," Hera began with a straight and confident voice. "I am already senior associate and my application for partner is currently being considered." Hera charmingly lied straight through her teeth.

Almas and Aazad were surprised at that. Jasmine shortly joined them and Almas caught her up in their conversation.

"Oh, that surely is great news. I'll be waiting for the celebration invite and hopefully I can get a crew in to document the grandiose occasion." Jasmine offered with a straight face yet Hera was well aware that the only reason for Jasmine's offer was to up her content on YouTube and Instagram.

"Yes, off course," Hera coarsely let out with anger in her undertone. She surely hated how they had the ability to scrutinize her life and it wasn't only now, every since childhood they had been like this.

Jasmine fully turned to Hera to get a good look at her. Her lips turned upwards as if she was a saint and settled on Hera's now bloated belly after consuming breakfast. "You know, I've heard that intermittent fasting works better than Keto. Perhaps you should give a try."

Hera wanted to slap her elder sister for that snide remark but all she could do was look at her in shock.

"And how about you stop with your Keto and other shit, you're beginning to look like toothpick gone wrong especially with that botox. Here have some chocolate covered waffles," said her other younger brother, Dean and placed a plate stacked with waffles and chocolate syrup in front of Jasmine.

Hera liked the younger ones as they were all pleasant and jested around most of the time. Dean was a year younger than her but he never had a bad bone in his body. Youssef's fifth wife, Jenna-Lee, did a remarkable job raising her 3 boys with love and tenderness. Hence Dean, Aijaz and Daniyal turned out the best.

"Get that filthiness out of my sight," Jasmine yelled in horror and left the table.

Hera was taken aback by her reaction. Did Jasmine have a questionable relationship with food or was she merely obsessed with calorie count? A small, deep rumble of laughter was evident from next to her and Hera was once again walking the line of avoiding. She was so embarrassed that Daman had heard what her siblings were on about and furthermore, he had heard her lies as well.

Almas was always a cruel one. He scrutinized Hera once again saying that he agreed with Jasmine. "You know we carry the Uzayr name. We have a reputation to uphold, and appearance is part of that. It's even worse that you didn't even attend with a plus one. The people would surely pick on that."

What would people say?

Hera felt like taking the butter knife in her reach to slit Almas' throat with the way he was acting. She couldn't believe what he was saying because it was clearly evident that their dad was a womanizer, so what right did Almas have about preaching reputation about the family name.

"She didn't attend with a plus one? How is she not engaged by now? She's 25. Marriage and children should be her priority," Aayat had added much to Hera's chagrin.

Hera was the youngest female sibling and Dina, Farrah, Jasmine, Aayat and Sofia were all either engaged or married by her age. Marriage was a dutiful part of the religion and everyone expected her to fulfil her part of it.

But how could she? The man she was involved with ruthlessly played with her heart for over a year and tossed it aside like trash when he got caught of his infidelity. Mikael had hurt Hera more than she'd acknowledged and recovering from that took time. It was already 9 months since their breakup.

Hera untidily threw her napkin on the table in anger. "Maybe you all should get your facts straight before picking on me then perhaps you'd know that I did in fact attend with a plus one."

Aazad snickered at his sister in disbelief. Hera was always the odd one out. "Who might that be then?"

Hera didn't think it through but she couldn't let them humiliate her like that. She had nothing, but her dignity would always be intact.

Smoothly she let out a sultry smile directed at her brothers and sister, and placed her hand on Daman's arm as she scooted closer to him.

"Daman Faiyaz is my plus one if you must know."

Word Bank

Machboos: Spiced chicken and rice which is the national dish of Bahrain.

Khabeesa: A sweet dish from the Arabian Peninsula - Semolina pudding with cardamom, rose water and garnished with pistachio and coconut.

Lol please don't murder me if I get some of the Arabian cultural stances wrong. I usually google and try to verify but alas things can be incorrect. I ain't from anywhere even near the middle east.